Jodee Citrolo of Castleton, center, crosses the finish line with her daughter Kellie Valenti of Clifton Park, left, and her daughter-in-law Mariella Peters of Herkimer during the Freihofer's Run for Women on Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Albany, N.Y. It was Citrolo's first time running in the race after years as a spectator. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union) less

Jodee Citrolo of Castleton, center, crosses the finish line with her daughter Kellie Valenti of Clifton Park, left, and her daughter-in-law Mariella Peters of Herkimer during the Freihofer's Run for Women on ... more

Photo: Cindy Schultz

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Irving top local Freihofer's runner

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ALBANY — Nicole Irving, competing in her first Freihofer's Run for Women, was the top local finisher Saturday.

Irving, a 20-year-old from Ballston Lake, was 16th overall with a time of 17 minutes, 12 seconds.

Irving, a 2010 Shenendehowa graduate, now attends Wake Forest, where she is on the cross country and track teams.

"I'm very happy," Gruca said. "It's my first year in the master's division after taking one year off, so I'm not in the best shape of my life yet."

Gruca, who came in 14th on Saturday, was sixth in the 2006 Freihofer's.

Willis finishes 12th

Three-time Freihofer's champion Benita Willis of Australia finished 12th with a time of 16:39.

The 32-year-old Willis, headed to her fourth Olympics this summer, admitted that because she now focuses on the marathon — which will be her event in London — her days of contending for the Freihofer's title may be over.

"I think I'll always come back here for sure and visit the schools," said Willis, who won the Freihofer's three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008. "Maybe I'll just do the kids' race or something like that. But I think it's going to be hard for me to come here in peak form for a 5K."

Willis is so focused on marathon training that she was flying back to her base in Boulder, Colo., later Saturday afternoon in preparation for a 20-kilometer training run Sunday morning.

Notable

Libby James, a 75-year-old grandmother of 12, finished 278th with a time of 23:34 in her Freihofer's debut. James, who lives in Fort Collins, Colo., holds the world record for both the 70-74 and 75-79 age groups in the 5K. "This is just a spectacular experience," said James. "The people here could not be nicer." ... Joan Benoit Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist, came in 30th overall with a time of 18:22. Samuelson, 55, has become an annual fixture at the Freihofer's. ... Emily Finnegan, recently crowned as Albany's Tulip Queen, came in 40th with a time of 18:53. Finnegan, a Colonie High graduate, runs track for the University at Albany. ... Dan Serianni of Rochester and Theresa Vaill of Gainesville, Fla., won the men's and women's title at the US 10k Race Walk Championship, held on the Empire State Plaza prior to the Freihofer's. Serianni finished in 44:40, while Vaill completed the course in 46:40.